General

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In recent years, the following numbers of individuals have been subjected to immigration detention:

Persons already undergoing an asylum procedure are not detained. However, people who apply for asylum after being placed in detention, both in detention centres for foreigners, called Centros de Internamiento de Extranjeros (CIE), and in penitentiary structures, remain detained pending the decision on admission to the asylum procedure. Thus, CIEs centres are theoretically not designed for the detention of asylum seekers, but rather for the detention of migrants who are found to be living without residence permit on the Spanish territory, or for those who are found to have entered irregularly the Spanish territory and have to be expelled or repatriated under the Immigration Law. In 2025, 853 persons applied for asylum from CIEs.^[9]

The competent authority to authorise and, where appropriate, annul the placement in a CIE is the Provincial Court (Audiencia Provincial) which has territorial jurisdiction over the place where detention is imposed. Moreover, the arrest of a foreigner shall be communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy or consulate of the person detained, when detention is imposed with the purpose of return as a result of the refusal of entry.^[10]

If the applicant is detained, the urgent procedure will be applied, which halves the time limits for a decision (see Prioritised Examination). The quality of the asylum procedure when the application is made from detention is affected mostly in relation to access to information on international protection, which is not easily available, and access to legal assistance, as communication is not as easy as for asylum seekers at liberty. In addition, several shortcomings are due to the urgent procedure to which applicants are subject, as it hinders access to appeals once the application is rejected, and a subsequent order of removal is applied.

In practice, asylum seekers can also be detained if their international protection needs are not identified or if they have no access to the asylum procedure.

In July 2025, twenty-one young asylum seekers from Bangladesh denounced their fear to be deported to their country while detained at the CIE of Zapadores (Valencia), where they applied for international protection.[11]

In its 2024 annual report on the situation of CIEs, the Jesuit Migrants Service continued to denounce the lack of monitoring and supervision mechanisms to guarantee transparency and accountability in these facilities. It also reported that several families were put in detention, as well as migrants who were very well rooted in Spain. In addition, the organisation continued to highlight the unnecessary suffering of inmates and the significant economic, social and, above all, human cost they entail.[12]

According to a written parliamentary response, the government informed that Spain carried out a total of 38,391 refusals of entry, returns and expulsions between 2021 and 2024. In addition, it informed to have carried out around 3,000 expulsions in 2024 –a decrease of 30% compared to the previous year- mainly due to the impossibility to locate migrants due to be returned.[13]

In Spain there are 7 CIEs which are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior. These facilities are located in Algeciras, Barcelona, Las Palmas, Madrid, Murcia, Tenerife, and Valencia.^[14] It has to be noted that the total capacity can vary according to possible improvements’ works, temporary closures, maintenance works, etc.

There have been several developments in 2025 and beginning of 2026 regarding CIEs:

• The construction works of a new CIE in Algeciras continued in 2025. The declarations of the Major of the Municipality, according to which the facility will be the most ‘social and human’ CIE in Spain, raised critics and concerns.^[15] During a visit carried out to the construction site, MEP Miguel Urbán defined the facility as the biggest prison in Europe and compared it to Guantanamo.^[16] The total cost for the construction of the facility – with a capacity of 507 places – has been 22 million Euros and took 10 years.[17] In its 2025 annual report on the situation of CIEs, the Jesuit Migrants Service asked the government to reconsider the opening of the new CIE in Algeciras, as its big capacity could lead to serious human rights violations.[18] At the beginning of November, the new facility was opened.[19] The coordinator of the campaign ‘CIEsNO’ of Cádiz organised a protest against the opening of the new facility.[20] In December, around 20 migrants were detained in the new facility.[21] In February 2026, it was denounced that the centre operated without legal authorisation for three months.[22] For this purpose, a group of organisations lodged a complaint with the Ombudsperson regarding the improper use of the CIE, and especially the illegality of the deprivation of liberty of migrants detained there before the proper authorisation for the opening.[23]
• In February 2025, the political party ‘Junts’ alleged that CIEs would be closed once the competence on migration is transferred from the central Government to the Autonomous Communities. The Government replied by informing it will draft a law transferring the competence on the reception of migrants and refugees to the Autonomous Communities, but not the competence of border management, and thus CIEs would not be closed.[24] Similarly, responsibility for migration lies with the central government, which will continue to retain this competence.[25] At the beginning of March, an agreement was reached, thus PSOE and Junts submitted a law proposal on the delegation of competences on migration (specifically, the management of CIEs and the forced return of migrants) to Cataluña.[26] Different NGOs expressed concerns on the agreement, in particular regarding the risk of differential treatment received by asylum seekers and migrants in Cataluña compared to other part of the Spanish territory.[27]
• During the National Day against CIEs gatherings and protests were organised to call for the closures of the CIEs and to denounce their bad conditions.[28]
• In August, the instruction judge of Arrecife (Lanzarote) denied the internment at the CIE of 44 migrants – 3 out of them declared to be minors – who arrived in the island by boat, as all of them applied for asylum.[29]
• During the same month, the organisation Extranjeristas en Red asked the public prosecutor office to investigate the illegal restrain of a group of migrants who arrived in a beach of Granada by some bathers. Accem and CEAR warned that the incident is a consequence of the hate speech that criminalises migrant population.[30]
• At the beginning of 2026, the political parties Podemos and Sumar called the Government to close the CIEs. Podemos’ request is a condition to support the delegation of competences on migration detention to Cataluña.[31]
• In February, the Ministry of Interior announced the creation of a new CIE in Algeciras and the closure of the old centre, including its annex building in Tarifa.[32]
• In February 2026, sources from the Ministry of Interior informed Europa Press that at the CIE in Murcia there were 31 persons detained out of a total of 100 available places. This is consistent with the national trend, as almost 80% of places in CIEs are empty. In details, at the CIE in Algeciras there were 16 inmates out of the 90 places available, at the Aluche centre (Madrid) the inmates were 72 out of 120, at the Zapadores centre (Valencia) 24 migrants were detained out of 70 places, the Zona Franca centre (Barcelona) held in detention 30 persons out of 158 places, at the Hoya Fría centre (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) there was just 1 migrant out of 210 places, and the same occurred for the facility in Barranco Seco (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) were just 1 migrant was detained out of 100 places.[33]
• In March, media informed that, since August 2022, the police has been applying an internal instruction advising against the admission of Moroccan migrants at CIEs, regardless of whether they have valid documentation or passports. The main reason for this is Morocco’s lack of cooperation in carrying out repatriations, a situation which, according to police sources, remains unchanged so far.[34]

In its 2024 annual report the Jesuit Migrant Service underlined that detention in CIEs penalises migrants

who are well-established, have families ties and a history of inclusion in Spain, and that detention is often applied unnecessarily and with releases far from their place of residence.[35] In addition, the organisation reiterated the continued lack of transparency and an absence of state mechanisms that periodically report on detentions, repatriations and procedures applied throughout the process of arrest, deprivation of liberty and forced return.

Regarding return procedures, an important decision was issued by the CJEU in October 2020. The Court ruled that, in light of the Immigration Law, Spain cannot expel migrants just for being undocumented, and that expulsion should be carried out only when aggravating circumstances exist.^[36] According to the 2022 annual report of the Public Prosecutor Office, almost half of the deportations of migrants detained in CIEs cannot be executed, thus the body recommended the National Police to carry out deeper investigations prior to detention, as well as to opt for alternative measures as set forth in the Immigration Law.[37]

Asylum seekers may also be de facto detained in “areas of rejection at borders” (Salas de Inadmisión de fronteras) at international airports and ports for a maximum of 8 days, until a decision is taken on their right to enter the territory. A total of 6,988 persons applied at a border post or transit zone in 2024.^[38]

^[1] Ibidem.

^[2] Ibidem.

^[3] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Informe CIE 2019. Diez años mirando a otro lado’, July 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3LjIjtn.

^[4] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Informe CIE 2020. Razón jurídica y sin razón política – Anexo’, June 2021, available at: https://bit.ly/3GXh451, 5.

^[5]  Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Informe CIE 2021. Territorio hostil. Formas diversas de hostilidad en los CIE – Anexo de Cifras’, May 2022, available at: https://bit.ly/40JQ5Sv.

^[6] Defensor del Pueblo, ‘Informe anual 2022 – Volumen I’, March 2023, p. 168, available at: https://bit.ly/3Kcqaf1.

[7] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Informe CIE 2023. Internamiento “muteado”. Personas cuyo sufrimiento queda oculto a la sociedad’, June 2024, available here.

[8] Europa Press, ‘Interior defiende los 1.893 ingresos en 2024 en los CIE: “Es una herramienta necesaria en la política migratoria de UE”’, 24 May 2025, available here.

^[9] Ministerio del Interior, Subsecretaría del Interior, Dirección General de Protección Internacional, ‘Avance de datos de protección internacional, aplicación del Reglamento de Dublín y reconocimiento del estatuto de apátrida. Datos provisionales acumulados entre el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2025’, January 2026, available here.

^[10] Articles 60(4) and 62(5) Aliens Act.

[11] Levante, ‘Solicitantes de asilo a la espera de la deportación: “Estamos condenados a muerte”’, 24 July 2025, available here; cadena Ser, ‘21 jóvenes perseguidos políticamente en Bangladés permanecen recluidos en el CIE de Zapadores de València’, 24 July 2025, available here; última Hora, ‘Veintiún jóvenes bangladesíes llegados a Baleares en patera solicitan asilo por persecución política’, 24 July 2025, available here; El Salto Diario’, ‘21 activistas de Bangladés encerrados en el CIE de Zapadores temen por su vida si son deportados’, 25 July 2025, available here.

[12] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Raíces tras los muros. Un modelo fallido de privación de libertad, falto de transparencia y garantías. Informe CIE 2024’, 29 September 2025, available here; Noticias Obreras, ‘El Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes denuncia el modelo fallido de los centros de internamiento de extrajeros’, 28 September 2025, available here; Europa Press, ‘Un total de 1.863 migrantes ingresaron en CIE en 2024, 222 menos que en 2023, según SJM que reclama “transparencia”’, 29 September 2025, available here; El Diario, ‘Los CIE encerraron en 2024 a migrantes con familia y fuerte arraigo en España, según un nuevo informe’, 29 September 2025, available here; Vida Nueva Digital, ‘Los jesuitas denuncian que en los CIE se ‘encarcele’ a migrantes con arraigo: casi el 90% lleva más de un año en España’, 29 September 2025, available here; RTVE, ‘Cuatro de cada diez migrantes recluidos en los CIE sufrieron “una inútil privación de libertad”’, 29 September 2025, available here.

[13] El Noticiero Digital, ‘España ejecutó más de 38.000 denegaciones de entrada, devoluciones y expulsiones entre 2021 y 2024, según el Gobierno’, 30 September 2025, available here; Voz Populi, ‘El Gobierno reduce un 30% las expulsiones de inmigrantes ilegales por la “dificultad” para localizarles’, 23 September 2025, available here.

^[14] Radio Televisión Española, ‘Los Centros de Internamiento para Extranjeros en el punto de mira: “No son de acogida humanitaria, son de represión”’, 9 March 2025, available here.  

^[15] Izquierda Diario, ‘Racismo: El Estado español albergará el CIE “más social y más humanizado”,’ 15 June 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/ye22db4y; Viva Jaén, ‘La construcción del nuevo CIE de Algeciras encara su recta final’, 26 October 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/mv86x2ux.

^[16] Europa Sur, ‘Miguel Urbán denuncia que el nuevo CIE de Algeciras será “un auténtico Guantánamo”’, 26 April 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/bdfyep9z.

[17] El Correo de Andalucía, ‘Diez años y 22 millones de euros después, Algeciras tendrá el CIE más grande de España’, 2 March 2024, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yc7zm5hy; La Voz Digital, ‘El CIE de Algeciras tendrá un coste de 21 millones de euros’, 2 November 2024, available here; Europa Sur, ‘El nuevo CIE de Algeciras arrancará con una ocupación reducida por motivos de seguridad’, 25 January 2026, available here; Europa Press, ‘El Gobierno espera las órdenes ministeriales para inaugurar el CIE de Algeciras, que ha costado 21,5 millones’, 25 January 2026, available here.

[18] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘Raíces tras los muros. Un modelo fallido de privación de libertad, falto de transparencia y garantías. Informe CIE 2024’, 29 September 2025, available here; Europa Sur, ‘El Servicio Jesuita Migrante pide al Gobierno que reconsidere la apertura del nuevo CIE de Algeciras’, 29 September 2025, available here.

[19] Público, ‘Interior abre por sorpresa el nuevo CIE en Algeciras con 500 plazas para retener a migrantes’, 6 November 2025, available here; Cadena Ser, ‘Abierto el nuevo CIE en Algeciras con 507 plazas en su interior’, 6 November 2025, available here; Europa press, ‘Denuncian la apertura “por sorpresa” en Algeciras del nuevo Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros’, 6 November 2025, available here; Algeciras al minuto, ‘La Coordinadora CIE No Cádiz denuncia la apertura del “el mayor centro de detención de migrantes del país” en Algeciras’, 8 November 2025, available here.

[20] Europa sur, ‘La Coordinadora ‘CIE no’ de Cádiz convoca una marcha en Algeciras contra el nuevo Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros’, 20 November 2025, available here.

[21] Campo de Gibraltar Siglo XXI, ‘Una veintena de personas estrenan el macro-CIE de Algeciras, pendiente de inauguración oficial’, 14 December 2025, available here.

[22] El Diario, ‘El nuevo CIE de Algeciras funcionó sin habilitación legal durante tres meses’, 19 February 2026, available here.

[23] Europa Sur, ‘Entidades sociales elevan una queja al Defensor del Pueblo por el uso indebido del Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros de Algeciras’, 17 February 2026, available here.

[24] El Periódico, ‘Junts asegura que Catalunya podrá cerrar los CIE cuando tenga las competencias en inmigración’, 5 February 2025, available here; 20 minutos, ‘El Govern dice que se tendrá que “analizar con tranquilidad” si se tienen que cerrar los CIE’, 6 February 2025, available here; El Diario, ‘El Gobierno prepara una ley orgánica que permita a las comunidades gestionar la acogida migratoria pero no las fronteras’, 6 February 2025, available here; Europa Press, ‘Águeda Micó vincula el apoyo de Compromís al pacto PSOE-Junts sobre migración al cierre de los CIE’, 11 March 2025, available here; La Vanguardia, ‘El Gobierno insiste en que la Generalitat no podrá cerrar los CIE ni exigir el catalán’, 12 March 2025, available here.

[25] Europa Press, ‘Saiz descarta un modelo migratorio propio para Catalunya: “La normativa es la misma” en toda España’, 12 March 2025, available here.

[26] Europa Press, ‘Cataluña ejecutará expulsiones y los Mossos gestionarán seguridad en la frontera con Policía Nacional y Guardia Civil’, 4 March 2025, available here; Onda Cero, ‘Qué son los CIE que también gestionarán los Mossos tras el acuerdo de PSOE y Junts’, 4 march 2025, available here.

[27] Europa Press, ‘ONG de migración muestran su preocupación ante el pacto entre PSOE y Junts’, 4 March 2025, available here.

[28] Algeciras Mundo, ‘Coordinadora CIE No Cádiz se concentra esta tarde en Algeciras’, 13 June 2025, available here; Diario área, ‘Algeciras se suma a la campaña nacional para reclamar el cierre de los CIE’, 14 June 2025, available here; Orm, ‘’Convivir sin racismo’ denuncia las condiciones del CIE de Sangonera la Verde y pide el cierre’, 15 June 2025, available here; Campo de Gibraltar Siglo XXI, ‘15 de junio: Jornada Estatal contra los Centros de Internamiento de Extranjeros’, 15 June 2025, available here.

[29] El Diario, ‘El Juzgado rechaza el ingreso en un CIE de los polizones solicitantes de asilo que llegaron a Lanzarote en un remolcador’, 11 August 2025, available here.

[30] Europa Press, ‘Extranjeristas en red pide investigar la retención de varios migrantes por parte de bañistas en una playa de Granada’, 7 August 2025, available here; Europa Press, ‘ONG de migración alertan del impacto de los discursos de odio que “criminalizan” a la población migrante’, 10 August 2025, available here. 

[31] Cadena Ser, ‘Podemos recela de la cesión a Cataluña de los CIE y del refuerzo de los Mossos como policía migratoria’, 29 January 2026, available here; Público, ‘Acabar con los CIE y las redadas racistas: las exigencias de Podemos para apoyar la cesión de competencias migratorias a Catalunya, 2 February 2026, available here; La Razón, ‘Sumar pide a Marlaska que cierre los CIE’, 27 January 2026, available here.

[32] Info Migrante, ‘El Gobierno creará un nuevo centro de internamiento de extranjeros en Algeciras’, 8 February 2026, available here.

[33] Europa Press, ‘El 70 por ciento de las plazas de los centros de internamiento para extranjeros están desocupadas en la Región de Murcia’, 7 February 2026, available here.

[34] La Gaceta de la Iberosfera, ‘La Policía aplica desde 2022 una instrucción que desaconseja el internamiento en CIE de inmigrantes ilegales marroquíes y argelinos, y provoca que queden en libertad’, 2 March 2026, available here.

[35] Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes, ‘RAÍCES TRAS LOS MUROS. Un modelo fallido de privación de libertad, falto de transparencia y garantías. Informe CIE 2024’, 30 September 2025, available here.

^[36] Court of Justice of the European Union, Case C‑568/19, Judgement 8 October 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3avGw1H; El País, ‘Una sentencia europea impide a España expulsar inmigrantes solo por estar en situación irregular’, 13 November 2020, available at: https://bit.ly/3s9Dkia.

[37] Fiscalía General del Estado, ‘Memoria elevada al Gobierno de S. M. presentada al inicio del año judicial por el Fiscal General del Estado Excmo. Sr. Don Álvaro García Ortiz’, September 2023, p. 1148, available at: https://tinyurl.com/ms9cyha5.

^[38] Ministerio del Interior, Subsecretaría del Interior, Dirección General de Protección Internacional, ‘Avance de datos de protección internacional, aplicación del Reglamento de Dublín y reconocimiento del estatuto de apátrida. Datos provisionales acumulados entre el 1 de enero y el 31 de diciembre de 2025’, January 2026, available here.